Coupling-controlling mechanism.



l. H. MILLIKEN. COUPLING CONTROLLING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 26.1915, I

Patented Sept. 21, 1915.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

Q II I? i Q COLUMN FLANOGRAPH COnWASHINOTON D C I. H. MILLIKEN.

COUPLING CONTROLLING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 26. I915.

1,1 54,040. Patented Sept. 21, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

COLUMBIA FLANOGRAPH 00.. WASHINGTON, D. c.

l. H. MILLIKEN.

COUPLING CONTROLLING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 26. 1915.

1,154,00fl Patented Sept. 21, 1915.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 60.. WASHINGTON, n. c.

ISAAC H. MILLIKEN, OF-ASPINWALL, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR'TQTHE-MGCONWAY &

TORLEY COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, .A CORPORATIONOF PENN- SYL'VANIA.

App1ication'fi1ed'March 26, 1915.

T 0 all whom, it may concern Be it known that I, IsAAo H. MILLIKEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Aspinwall, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coupling- Oontrolling lVlechan'ism; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates 'to the class of car couplers which are applied to railway vehicles so as to be capable of "shifting or moving laterally when the cars to which they are attached are passing around a curve, the couplers being normally maintained in centralized "position by mechanism which offers yielding resistance to a lateral displacement of the coupler in either direction from the longitudinal axis of the-car.

Then cars which are equipped with draft appliances of the character indicated are to be coupled while upon a curve, it is desirable and under some conditions necessary that at least one of the couplers which are to be interlocked shall be shifted laterally from its central position to bring it into proper coupling alinement with the mating coupler.

1t is, therefore,the object of my invention to provide mechanism whereby the tr'ainman may release the coupler from the control of its centeringdevice and then readily shift such coupler laterally in either direction to the desired position.

A further object of my inventionris "to so combine the several devices that the centralizing means shall automatically regain control of the coupler when the-latter is moved to central position by the passage of the coupled cars over straight track; and a still further object of my invention-is to so combine the several devices that the return of the coupler to normal position in thejcenter of the car after it has been released from the centering mechanism and shifted laterally bv the trainman operates to restore to normal position the mechanism by which the shifting of the coupler has been-effected, wherebv if the car should be subsequently uncoupled either on straight orcurved'traek Specification of Letters Patent.

COUPLING-CONTROLLING MECHANISM.

Patented Sept. 21, 1915.

Serial No. 17,129.

the'devices for effecting the lateral displacement of the coupler will be found in proper operative position to enable the trainman to shift the coupler in either direction.

In the drawings illustrating my invention, the'scope whereof is pointed out in the claims, Figure 1 is a view, partly in front elevation and partly in transverse section, illustrating a mechanism embodying my invention, the parts being in normal position corresponding to the-central position of the coupler. vFig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but illustrating. the relative positions assumed by the parts when the coupler has been released from its centering mechanism and shifted laterally by the trainman. Fig. 3 is a detail horizontal section on the line 3-3, Fig. 1. Fig. 4C is a detail section on the line 4'l, 'Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a view corresponding to Fig. 4, but with the parts'in the positions illustrated in Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a vertical central section of a portion of the devices illustrated in Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is adetail view in sideelevation showing the operating lever and the combined fulcrum memher and supporting bracket, the position of the lever when cooperating with the fulcrum member being illustrated in dotted lines. F 1g. 8 1s a view, partly in front elevation and partly in transverse section, illustrating a modification of my invention in which the coupler centering mechanism, instead of being mounted on the coupler, is mounted upon the railway vehicle between the center sills thereof. Fig. 9 is 'a view, .partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section, of

the devices illustrated in Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a plan view of the mechanism shown in Figs. .8 and 9,.the parts being in normal "position with the coupler in central position. Figs.- 1-1 and 12 are views respectively, similar to Figs. 9 and 10, but illustrating the positions assumed by the parts when the coupler has been shifted laterally after having been released from the control of the centralizing mechanism. Fig. 13 is a detail plan view of a portion of the coupler releasing and shifting mechanism illus trated in Figs. 8 to 12, inclusive.

In the embodiment of my invention portrayed in Figs. -1 to '6, inclusive,of the drawings, 1-, -1 indicate the center sills o'f a car,

and 2 indicates a carrier iron such as is usually employed to support the coupler. The carrier iron or coupler supporting device should be of such nature and size as to permit the coupler to have the desired range of lateralmovement. The form of coupler centralizing mechanism which has been illustrated in the principal figures of the drawings is mounted upon the shank of the coupler. It comprises a pair of oppositely dis posed flanged spring boxes or followers?) which are mounted upon the shank l of the coupler so as to be capable of'moving toward each other, a horizontally extending spring 5, which is interposed between them, serving to normally force them apart until their outer ends bear against laterally immovable abutments that are'carried by the body of pled, theexpansion of the spring 5 restores the coupler to normal positlon 1n the center of the car. While such a centering mecha- IllSI'Il, whlch is a well-known form that is described in detail in the patent of William Kelso, No. 950,485, issued March 1, 1910, has

7 the advantageof securing simplicity in the form and arrangement of the cooperatingdevices by which the coupler is shifted laterally, it is to be understood that the invention inits broad aspects is not limited to any Special form or type of centering mechanlsm.

. Between each spring box or follower 3 and the adjacent side of the carrier iron 2 a filler block 6 is normally interposed, as well shown in Figs. 1 and 3. For convenience of manufacture, and to completely insure simultane- -ous and harmonious action, the fillers 6 are preferably integrally united by means of an arched web 7 which extends over the couwhen the fillers 6 occupy the position illustrated in Fig. 1 any lateral displacement of the coupler in either direction from its medial position will cause the spring 5 to be compressed between the spring boxes 3, one of said boxes being moved laterally by the shank 4 of the coupler while the other spring box is prevented from retreating because its outer end bears against the, adjacent face of the contiguous filler block 6. The subsequent expansion of the spring 5 restores the parts to'normal position and the coupler is thus under the. centralizing control of the centering mechanism when the filler members 6 are in their normal positions between the spring-boxes and the carrier iron.

When, however, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 5, the fillers 6 are withdrawn fromoperative lntervention between the spring'boxes 3 and the sides of the carrier iron 2, the coupler is released from the control of the centralizing devices'and may be shifted laterally in either direction for a distance proportional to the thickness of the filler block without the necessity of overcoming the resistance of the spring 5.- It will therefore be seen that the fillers 6 constitute means whereby the coupler may be brought under the control of the centralizing devices or may be released from such control at will. r

As a convenient means for actuating the filler blocks 6 to release the coupler from the control of the centralizing devices the following construction is preferably employed: The rear end of each filler is slotted,

as at 8, to receive a transversely extending bar 9 that is journaled in a bracket 10 which ispreferably mounted on the carrier iron 2 and extends rearwardly therefrom beneath the shank 4; of the coupler. The form of the slots 8 and the cross-section'of the bar 9 are such that the bar while being capable'of a slidin movement in its direction of'len 'th through said slots is adapted upon being rotatedto correspondingly actuate the fillers 6. The central portion of :the bar 9 is recessed, as best shown in Fig. 3, so as to permit it to be turned upwardly to embrace the lower part of the shank 4c of the coupler between its end portions or arms, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 5. In order to perportion may be fashioned as a cylindrical shaft 11 which is journaled in the bracket 9.

-The journal bearing portion of the bracket is preferably of hook-like form permitting the shaft to be introduced from above, said gage the flattened end portions of the bar 9 to thereby, as shown in Fig. 5, arrest its mit the bar 9 to be readily turned its central rotation at such a point that the contrary rotation of the bar and associated movable parts in returning to normal position will be I pler shank 4. As Wlll be readily understood,

'when the bar 9 slides in its direction of length in effecting 'a lateral-shifting of the coupler, the forward face ofthe bearing for the shaft 11 is preferably aflorded by an upwardly extending rib 13 which is disposed centrallyof the bracket 10. As will be apparent from an inspection of Figs. 4 and 5, when the parts are in assembled relation the coupler serves'to prevent the rotatable bar or crank member 9 from becoming disascoupler next assumes a central position. In

'sociated from the journal bearing bracket 10. When the fillers 6 have been raised by the specific embodiment of my invention now being described the lateral shifting of the coupler causes one or the other of the spring-boxes 3 carried by the stem 4 of the coupler to move under the adjacent filler member 6, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 5, the filler members being thus supported in released or raised position until, by the re turn of the coupler to central position, the supporting spring-box is withdrawn from the path of movement of the filler, when both filler blocks fall to normal position and the coupler is thus automatically restored to the control of the centralizing mechanism. When a coupling is made while the filler members 6 are supported in raised position by the laterally shifted coupler, the impact due to coupling will cause the shank a of the coupler and spring-boxes 3 mounted thereon to travel rearwardly, and in order to permit such rearward movement the fillers are accordingly suitably formed or recessed, as indicated at 1 1.

The rotatable and slidable bar 9 is preferably actuated by a plurality of rods 15 which extend in opposite directions to the sides of the car. Each of these rods is adapted to rotate the bar 9 and to push or pull it in either direction, so that the coupler may be released from the controlof the centralizing mechanism and shifted laterally in either direction by either of the rods. In order that the rods may automatically return to normal position when the operator releases them after they have been actuated to raise the filler blocks and shift the coupler laterally, as well as for the purpose of permitting the rods to be rotated independently so that the operator may be relieved of the necessity of uselessly expending any force, and also for the further purpose, as will hereinafter appear, of permitting the coupler to be moved laterally by means of leverage devices that are designed to successively engage a plurality of fulcrum points, the said rods 15 are preferably connected to the bar 9 by having their bent inner ends 16 extend through eyes or apertures 17 near the ends of the said bar, said apertures 17 being of flaring form to thereby permit, as will be appreciated from a comparison ofFigs. 4 and 5, either of the rods 15 to remain in normal position when the fillers 6 are raised by the other rod, and also to allow the rod that has been actuated to automatically return to normal position or to be manually rotated as may be required to change the fulcrum point of the operating lever while the filler blocks remain in raised or releasing position. The

rods 15 may be conveniently retained in assembled relation with the bar 9 by means of cotter pins 18 which pass through the bent inner ends 16 of said rods.

The means which are preferably employed for both rotating the rods 15 and pushing or pulling them are of the following nature: The outer end of each operating rod 15 is bifurcated or formed with a jaw 19 which receives a lever 20 that is pivotally secured thereto by means of a pin 21. When the fillers 6 are in normal position the levers 20 hang vertically, their long arms extending downwardly in a position where they may be conveniently reached by the operator and their shorter arms-extending upwardly and standing opposite the corresponding central pockets of members 22 which are rigidly mounted on the end of the car at opposite sides thereof to afford a plurality of fulcra for their respective levers 20. If the coupler is to be moved laterally from its central position the longer arm of one of the levers 20 is grasped by the trainman and raised or turned upwardly and forwardly until, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 7, the shorter arm of said lever enters the middle pocket 23 of the cor responding fulcrum casting 22 This movement of the lever 20 causes a rotation of the adjacent rod 15 and connected bar 9 suflicient to withdraw the filler blocks 6 from their normal positions opposite the ends of the spring-boxes 3, thereby releasing the coupler from the control of its centralizing mechanism, as previously explained. By the rotation of the bar 9 the shoulders thereof which form the lateral walls of the centrally disposed recess therein are moved upwardly into overlapping relation with the shank aof the coupler, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 5, so that if the bar 9 be subsequently slid in either direction such movement will be communicated to the stem of the coupler and the coupler will be corre spondingly shifted laterally. With the lever 20 occupying the raised position described the sliding movement of the bar 9 necessary to shift the coupler in the required direction may be imparted to said bar through either rod 15 by pulling or pushing upon said lever as the required direction of movement of the coupler may necessitate. The force exerted by the operator to move the coupler laterally is increased in transmission to the coupler by means of the lever 20, the end of the shorter arm of the lever 20 fulcruming upon one or the other of the vertical walls of whichever pocket 23,2 1- or 25 the lever may extend into at the time. Should extreme lateral movement of the coupler be desired or should the leverage obtained when the lever 20 is extending into the middle pocket 23 be insufiicient' to permit the trainman to readily shift the coupler to the desired po sition, the coupler may be shifted laterally a portion of the required distance while the lever 20 is in the middle pocket, after which the upper end of the lever maybe transferred to the appropriate one of the adjacent pockets, 2%- and 25, thus obtaining betnecessary to allow the lever 20 to be trans-v ferred from one pocket to another while the filler members (fare in raised or releasing position is permitted by reason of the movablecharacter of the connection of the rod with the bar 9, as heretofore explained.

- Brackets such as 26 are preferably employed to support the operating rods or members 15 from the car body in such manner that they may be capable of freely turning and sliding as may be required. These brackets may be conveniently made'integral with their adjacent fulcrum members shown in the drawings, and such construction is preferred.

The construction illustrated in Figs. 8 to 13, inclusive, is an exemplification of my invention wherein the yielding means for centralizing the coupler are mounted upon the railway vehicle instead of upon the coupler itself. In this form of construction, 27 indicates the center sills and 28 the carrier iron for supporting the coupler 29 so that it may be capable of the desired range of lateral movement. The centralizing mechanism, which is located between the center sills 27, involves a transversely extending spring 30 which bears at opposite ends upon followers orv flanged thimbles 31 that are slidably mounted on a movable frame 32. The portions of the followers 31 which project from the frame 32 are cylindrical to thus form journals upon which the said frame may rotate. The outer ends of the followers normally bear against the inner sides of the respective center sills 27 and the entire centering mechanism is preferably supported by a bolt 33 which extends through the center sills and through the fol lowers 31,. supporting frame 32 and spring 30. The frame 32, in addition to functioning as an element of the centralizing mechanism, also performs the office of a clutch whereby the coupler 29 may be operatively connected to or released from the control of the centralizing devices. To this end this frame is preferably provided on its lower side with a pair of downwardly extending arms 34: which are spaced apart a distance sufficient to receive the shank of the coupler 29 between them. l/Vhen, as shown in Figs. 8, 9 and 10, the clutch arms 34; of the frame 32 embrace the stem of the coupler 29, lateral movement of the coupler in either direction from its central position will impart a corresponding movement to the frame 32, thus causing the spring 30to be compressed between the flanged thimbles or followers 31, one of said followers being moved laterally by the frame while the other remains stationary by reason of having a bearing preferably employed.

supported in releasing position. As soon,

however, as the coupler returns to its central position its support is withdrawn from the frame member 32 and thereupon the latter immediately swings downward so that'its clutch arms 34 embrace the stem "of the coupler 29, the coupler being thus automatically restored to the control of the centralizing devices.

The devices which are operable from the sides of the car to release thecoupler from the control of the centralizing mechanism and to shift the coupler laterally may be of the same character as those heretofore described. Rotatable and slidable operating rods 15 which extend to the sides of the car and which are equipped with levers 20 that cooperate with fulcrum members 22 having attached rod supporting brackets 26 are These parts and their mode of operation have already been 'described. The bent inner end 16 of each rod 15 is movably connectedto a slidable and rotatable bar 35 by passing through an opening or aperture 36 in said bar, said openings, as shown more particularly in Figs-. 9 and 11, being of flaring form to thereby permit either of the rods 15 to actuate the bar 35 independently of the other rod and to permit of the lever 20 being are spaced apart to form a recess for receiving the stem 29 of the coupler when the said bar is rotated to e'fiect the release ofthe coupler from the'centralizing mechanism. As will be understood upon reference to Fig. 11, when the bar 35 is rotated in the proper direction its arms 37 move upwardly upon opposite sides of the coupler, engaging the corresponding clutch arms 34 of the frame member 32 and rotating such frame member upwardly unt1l it is disengaged fromoperative connection with the coupler. The coupler may then be shifted laterally by the trainmanwithout the necessity of overcoming the resistance of the spring 30. By pulling or pushing upon one of the rods 15 the bar 35 is correspondingly shifted and through the engagement of one orthe other of its 'arms'37 with the side of the. coupler ably is, slidably and rotatably mounted in a bracket 38 which is of substantially the same form as the bracket 10 heretofore described, such bracket 38 being attached to'the carrier iron 28, being of hook-like form and being provided on its upper surface with a centrally disposed rib 39 corresponding in form and function to the rib 13. Stops or lugs to which project from opposite sides of the bracket 38 and which are adapted to engage the arms 3'? of the bar 35 serve to limit the downward swinging movement of said bar, while the en agement of the flattened face of the journal portion 41 of the bar 35 with the hook portion 42 of the bracket serves, as will be seen from Fig. 11, to arrest the rotation of the bar 35in the opposite direction at a point which will insure the operating devices gravitating or swinging downwardly as soon as the trainman releases the operating lever.

I claim:

1. In mechanism of the character indicated, the combination with a laterally movable coupler, of yielding means for centralizing said coupler, releasable means for operatively connecting said coupler'and centralizing means, and means operatively con- .nected to said releasable means and to said coupler and adapted both to actuate said releasable means to free-the coupler from the control of said centralizing means and to shift said coupler laterally.

2. In mechanism of the character indicated, the combination with a laterally movable coupler, of yielding means for centralizing said coupler, releasable means for operatively connecting said coupler and centralizing means, and rotatable and slidable means operatively connected to said releasable means and to said coupler and adapted by one of said movements to free the coupler from the control of said centralizing means .and by the other of said movements to shift the coupler laterally.

3. In mechanism of the character 1nd1- cated, the combination with a laterally movable coupler, of yielding means for centralizing said coupler, releasable means for operatively connecting said coupler and centralizing means, means for actuating said releasable means to free the coupler from the control of said centralizing means, and means whereby said releasable means after having been actuated to release the coupler from the control of the centralizing means are prevented from returning to normal po-' sition until the coupler is in central position, said releasable means and said means for actuating the same being operatively connected so as to be relatively movable in a manner permitting said actuating means to move toward normal position independently of a correspondingmovement of said releasable means.

t. ln'mechanism of the character indicated, the combination with a laterally movable coupler, of yielding means for centralizing said coupler, releasable means for 013- eratively connecting said coupler and contralizing means, a rod operatively connected to said releasable means and to said coupler and adapted to actuate said releasable means to free the coupler from the control of said centralizing means and to shift said coupler laterally. a lever pivotally connected to said rod, and a fulcrum member having a plurality of fulcrum points with which said lever is adapted to be successively brought into engagement, said rod and said releas-,

able means being operatively connected so as to be relatively movable in a manner per mitting said lever to be shifted from one fulcrum point to another while said releasable means occupies a position in which the coupleris released from the control of the said centralizing means. i

' 5. In mechanism of the character indicated, the combination with a laterally movable coupler, of yielding means for centralizing said coupler, releasable means for operatively connecting said coupler and centralizing means, a rotatable and slidable rod extending toward the side of the car and operatively connected to said releasable means and to said coupler and adapted by a rotary movement to actuate said releasable means to thereby free the coupler from the control of said centralizing means and also adapted by a sliding movement to shift the coupler laterally.

6. In mechanism of the character indicated, the combination with a laterally movable coupler, of means for shifting'said coupler laterally, said means being slidable to effect the lateral shifting of the coupler and being adapted through rotary movement to be operatively connected to and operatively disengaged from said coupler and when so disengaged being unaffected by lateral movement'of the coupler when said coupler is displaced from its central position by reasonof the passage of the car around a curve.

7. In mechanism of the character indicated, the combination with a laterally movtrol of the centralizing means being adapted tobe operatively connected to and operatively disengaged from said coupler and when so disengaged being unaffected by lateral movement of the coupler.

S. In vmechanism of the character indicated, the combination with a laterally mov able coupler, v of means for shifting said coupler laterally, said means being adapted to be operatively connected to and operatively disengaged from said coupler and when 7 so disengaged being unaffected by lateral movement of said coupler and after having been actuated to shift the coupler laterally being automatically returned to normal position when the coupler returns to central position.

9. In mechanism of the character indicated, the combination with a laterally movable coupler, of a rotatable and slidable member adapted to shift said coupler laterally in either direction from its central position, said member being rotatable to operatively engage said coupler and being thereafter slidable to shift said coupler laterally.

10. In mechanismof the character indicated, the combination with a laterally movable coupler, of a bar having a recess adapted to receive the stem of said coupler, said bar being rotatable to a position in which the said stem extends into said recess and while in such position being adapted to have a sliding movement to thereby effect a lateral shifting of the coupler.

11.In mechanism of the character indi cated, the combination with a laterally movable coupler, of yielding means for centralizing said coupler, pivoted releasable means for operatively connecting said coupler and centralizing means, and means for rotating said releasable means to freethe coupler from the control of said centralizing means,

said means for rotating the releasable means being adapted by a sliding movement to shift said coupler laterally. I

12. In mechanism of the character indicated, the combination with a laterally movable coupler, of means for shifting said coupler laterally, said means involving a bracket which is mounted upon the car so as to be unaffected by lateral movement of the coupler, and ainember slidably'mounted in said bracket and adapted to be operatively connected to and operatively disengaged from said coupler and when so disengaged Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the being unaffected by lateral movement of the coupler. 1

13. In mechanism of the character indicated, the combination with a laterally movable coupler, of a carrier iron for supporting said coupler so as to permit it to move laterally, yielding means for centralizing said coupler, and filler members adaptedto overlap the sides of the coupler and to op eratively engage the means for centralizing said coupler, said filler members being movable to release said coupler from the control of said centralizing means.

14. In mechanism-of the character indicated, the combination with a'laterally movable coupler, of a carrier iron for supporting said coupler, yielding means for centralizing said coupler, a bracket mounted on said carrier iron, a bar which is slidably and rotatably mounted insaid bracket, said bar being provided with shoulders which are adaptedto engage the oppositesides of the coupler to thereby enable said bar: to shift the coupler laterally,rods movably connected to said bar and extending toward opposite sides of the car, levers movably secured to the respective rods, and a plurality of means respectively affording a plurality of fulcrum points for the corresponding levers. v

15. In mechanism ofthe character indicated, the combination with a laterally movable coupler, of yielding means for centralizing said coupler, releasable means for operatively connecting said coupler and centralizing means, and means operatively connected to said releasable means and to said coupler and adapted to actuate said releasable means to free the coupler from the control of said centralizing means and involving power increasing devices operable to effect a lateral shifting of the coupler.

16. In mechanismof the character indi cated, the combination with a laterally movable coupler, of means for shifting said coupler laterally, said means involving power increasing devices and being slidable to effect the lateral shifting of the coupler and being adapted to be operatively connected to and operatively disengaged from said coupler and when so disengaged being unaffected by lateral movement of the Washington, D. G.

Commissioner of Patents, 

